Last year, my husband and I hosted Friendsgiving at our house for the first time, and it quickly became one of our favorite traditions. After a busy year, we thought it would be such a fun way to bring our friends together before the craziness of the holidays started. It’s also a great way to connect with friends that we don’t get to see all the time and celebrate with each other.
If you’re thinking about hosting your own Friendsgiving, here are a few tips we’ve come up with to ensure everyone has a great time, and all your food groups are covered!
1. As the host, it is best if you make the turkey. If preparing the turkey intimidates you, you can choose a prepared option instead! As long as you cook and carve it, that’s all that matters.
2. Create a sign-up list and make sure to have a variety of foods listed. If people ask what they can bring, don’t hesitate to tell them what is missing! Make sure you have all the necessary food categories like potatoes, vegetables, casseroles, and stuffing!
3. The more desserts, the better! If a guest wants to bring a side and dessert, let them! Desserts have their own categories as well, and everyone likes different things! Plus, it’s great to have something sweet for people to munch as they’re hanging out after the meal.
4. Provide some drinks for your guests, even though they should bring something to contribute as well! I love making a fall sangria! It’s perfect because you can prep it ahead of time so you aren’t stressing about the timing of making another thing!
5. Be aware of friends with allergies and make sure they will have enough to eat! It’s likely that whatever dish they make will accommodate their needs, but still be cognizant of their allergies when preparing your menu! Make sure you include some appetizers that they can eat as well.
6. No critiquing anyone’s dish! It can be intimidating for some people to prepare a dish, and not everyone loves to cook! If they opt to bring something store-bought, that’s okay too!
7. Have appetizers out before the meal. As with any party, people will trickle in at different times. I think it’s important for everyone to eat together, so have some appetizers for people to munch on while all the guests are arriving.
8. If you’re a guest, don’t prep your dish at the host’s house. It’s fine if you need to reheat your dish, but have it prepared ahead of time! It’s likely that space is already limited in the kitchen, so don’t stress the host out by trying to cook your dish too! Oven space is prime realty around the holidays!
9. Make sure you have a place for everyone to sit, even if that means getting creative with your space! Don’t let a small living area or small table keep you from hosting. The first year we hosted we had just moved into our new home, so we didn’t have a lot of furniture yet. We used folding tables and chairs and made it work!
10. Create your own traditions as the years go on and most importantly, have fun!